Dalibor Buš: The clown has the ability to mirror humanity both comically and tragically

Marie Klemensová: What themes from William Golding's original work Lord of the Flies speak to you the most?

Dalibor Buš: In the beginning, I was most drawn to the question of whether man is basically good or evil and what role this factor plays in the building of civilization. In the course of rehearsal, heated discussions and research, we turned more to the question of how fear and freedom are related.

rehearsal of the production Ord of the Lies, Husa na provázku Theatre
Photo: Jakub Šnajdr

Although you take inspiration from Lord of the Flies, in the end this is purely an original production. How did you involve the Studio 60+ ensemble in the creation of the script?

As much as possible. We presented the idea to the ensemble as a done deal, but we never stopped asking the actors and actresses what they wanted to play about. In rehearsals, we took a slightly more complicated route because we consulted the whole ensemble on virtually every idea.

Of course, in the later stages of the process it was necessary to take directorial and dramaturgical responsibility and make clear decisions with a very firm hand. But I think in this case it was actually a bit of a relief for this non-professional ensemble.

The initial story is about a group of British boys whose plane crashes on a deserted island and they have to cope with the situation without adults. What do these boys have in common with a group of elderly people living in a home that has been abandoned overnight without notice by all its carers? And how are they different?

What they have in common is, at first glance, an inability to take care of themselves. I also find it interesting that, as you get older, you start to resemble younger and younger children until you end up like an embryo in the grave. Which I guess is also something they can differ in. An elderly person who loses cognitive and motor skills is not an unwritten page and – though it may not appear so on the outside – carries within him or her the wisdom of life.

Ord of the Lies, Husa na provázku Theatre
Photo: David Konečný

Infantilisation of the elderly is something that will not really contribute to their quality of life. How is a rather tragic story processed into the form of a movement clown show? And with a group of seniors?

Well... completely originally and in a new way! Don't expect a cabaret of slapstick and acrobatics. A clown show can be poetic. In the genetics of a clown, there's also a jester in the royal court. The clown has the ability to mirror humanity both comically and tragically. So we have an ideal genre for political allegory, in which the actors don't have to learn a quantum of text and can harness their distinctive authenticity.

What surprised you the most about working with Studio 60+?

Just how unique the group is. I enjoy every single one of them, and each one is completely different. And the fact that I sometimes feel like I'm in kindergarten in rehearsals, and that their incredible life stories and the before mentioned wisdom of experience suddenly comes out.

rehearsal of the production Ord of the Lies, Husa na provázku Theatre
Photo: Jakub Šnajdr

How do you think the view of ageing is changing in today's society and how can theatre contribute to this?

I don't think I want to judge that and I can't. But what I do perceive through my own aging is a tremendous pressure for efficiency and speed. For me personally, theatre helps me return to belonging, empathy and forgiveness. And those are much more interesting values to me than power, efficiency and production, which actually fades with aging.

Dalibor Buš at the premiere of Ord of the Lies, Husa na provázku Theatre
Photo: Jakub Šnajdr

The production of Ord of the Lies, subtitled The Devil Wears Slippers, premiered on 16 April 2025 at the large venue of the Husa na provázku Theatre. For more information about the production and scheduled performances, visit the theatre's website.